I too have run engines with the carb almost touching the cowl and had no problems. Its easy to then cut the cowl after flight testing if your low on rpm........anyway hindsight is crystal clear right?

You can do two things............intake tube of some sort and then vent the pressure hole into the fuz..........solder a brass tube into the hole about 1/4" long then run fuel tubing back into the fuz.

Doing one of the above may work doing both will work.

Kindest regards IanB